myers



(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

` R. MYERS.

SAFETY GUARD yROR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 245,389. Patented Aug.'9,1881.

INVENTOR E.V MYERS.

SAFETY GUARD FOR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 245,389. Patented Aug. 9,1881.

WITNESSES INVENTOR e l l IW' www WMM.

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NTTED STATES PATENT QEEICEo EDWARD MYERS, oE JoPLrN, MISSOURI, AssteNoR To SARAH E. MYERS, oE

SAME PLAGE.

SAFETY-G UARD FOR RA'i LWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,389, dated August 9, 1881.

Application filed February 24, 18H1.V (Model.)

.To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known'that I, EDWARD MYERS', of Joplin, in the county ot' Jasper andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Guards for Railway-Cars 5 and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make 1o and use it, reference being had to .the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in safety-guards for railway-ears, the objects of the Same being to provide means for retaining the cars on the track when an axle or rail has been accidentally broken, and to prevent the tipping over of the. cars when exposed to severe gaies.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain details in construction and combinations of parts, as will he more fully explained, and pointed Vout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a Side view of 2 5 acar-truck provided with myimproved guards.

Fig. 2 is afront view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one otl the safety-guards. Fig. t is a view of the improved switch. Fig. 5 is 'a view ot' the manner ot' connecting the rails. 3o Fig. 6 is a modiication of thel guard, and

Fig. 7 shows the manner of connecting the rails.

A -is the truck-frame, of the ordinary construction, supported on axles B and wheels C.

3 5 From the, ends ot' transverse beams d of the truck-frame A are suspended the hanging arms D, having lateral projecting 'langes a at their upper end.. These flanges a are provided with bolt-holes b, through which the fastening- 4o bolts c passand secure the hanging arms D in place on the transverse beam d by a nutv screwed on the projecting end of bolt c. These hanging arms 'D are strengthened by braces d3, and suspended over the rails E, and have 4 5 the guards F pivotally secured thereto at their lower end. The guardsF are composed ot two faces, e e', formed precisely alike, and arranged one on each side of the rail, and adapted to envelop the tread thereof and prevent the truck from leaving the rail in case of 5o an accident to the truck'itselt or by misplacing a switch.

The guards can be made in a variety of ways to accomplish the same result, it only being necessary to have the face or faces ot` the guards so arranged to move laterally outward, or one face removably secured to the other to allow the guards to be applied around the head of the rail while the truck is standing thereon, which result could not be accomplishedif the faces ot the guards were constructed of one piece of metal.

One manner ot' accomplishing the above result is shown in Fig. 3. The faces are composed ot two distinct parts, the face c being pivot-ally secured to the lower end of the han ging arm, and having two lugs,f, projecting from the upper side thereof, which abutagainst the projecting pin or stop g on the hanging arm, thereby limiting the rotary movement ot' 'the guards. The lower end ot' face e is curved inwardly, forming projecting lips h, which, in conjunction with the projecting lip of the companion face e', form a passage-way of less diameter than the tread ofthe rail, thereby pre- Venting its withdrawal therel'roin,but leaving sutticient space for the web ot the rail to pass through without impinging on the projecting lips h. The other face, e', is shaped like the face c, and is secured to the top thereof in any desired manner. A longitudinal slot, h', is

'formed therein, which allows the plate e to be placed in position on the companion plate e, where it is secured by screws passing through both plates. The lugs j' of plate e pass up through thelongitudinal slot h/ in plate e and assist in holding the upper platetin position vwhen the guard comes in contact with an ohV companion face, and to swing laterally outward, as shown in Fig. 6, the jaws being held in position by bolts passing through the plates, said bolts having shoulders which abut against 5 the inner faces ofthe plates, and provided with screw-threaded en ds, on which nuts are screwed to hold the bolts in place.

The projecting lips h of the plates e e are beveled at both the front and rear ends, which 1o forms a flaring opening with inclined sides, which operates to correct misplaced switches and prevent the ends or corners ot' the projecting lips from impingiug on the web of the rail in turning curves. In using my improved guard it will be necessary to dispense with the frogs ordinarily used in switching, and for this purpose I have devised a switch, to be used in conjunction with my improved guard, which allows the guard to pass unobstructed onto a siding.

The switch shown in Fig. 401.1 the drawings is the same as the switch ordinarily used, eX- cept that the frog is removed and iu its stead are two parallel rails, which are moved by a switch-bar, so as to adjust the truck either to the main or switch track. This switch is composed of two sections, A B. In the section A are shown two main rails, a az, and two switch-rails, b b2. These rails are all pivoted to the cross-tie c', while their opposite ends rest upon the bearing df, adapted to have a lateral sliding movement between the guides a a.

To the outer end ot' bearing d switch-lever p is attached, by which the rails are operated and locked in position.

The second section ot' the switch consists of the main rails a3 a* and two switch-rails, b3 b4. The main rail a3 and switchrail b* are tirmly secured in place, while'the main rail a* and switch -rail b3 are adapted to be operated by the switch-leverp. These rails a* and b3 are pivotally secured at one end to cross-tie c?, while their opposite ends rest 011 the cross-tie c, and are operated together by a connectingrod, d3, secured to the under side of the rails, and having a switch-lever, d4, secured thereto, which eiectually holds the rails in place.

By means of this improved switch I dis- 5o pense with the frogs ordinarily used and avoid crossing tracks, both of which would interfere with the operation of my improved guard, and use rails which are adapted to be moved in position as required. In some instances it will be necessary to provide improved fastenings for the meeting ends ot the rails, as the means now employed therein would obstruct the free passage ot' the guards; and to overcome this I mortise one end ot' the rail, as at s, and form corresponding projections r in the opposing face of the meeting-rail, which tits in said mortise and prevents the rails from diverging from their course, while at the same time they are held firmly in place by the plates t t', placed re- 65 spectively above and below the flange of the rail.

When it is necessary that one track should cross another track a turn -table having two rails placed thereon is introduced at the cross- 7o ing, which is used for both tracks, and allows the guards to pass over unobstructed.

It is evident that slight changes in the construct-ion might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the exact construction shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 8o Patent, is

l. The combination, with a truckframe, of depending arms D, rigidly secured at their upper ends to the truck-frame, and havinga safetyguard swiveled upon their lower ends, said safetyguard composed ot' two sections, constructed to be separated, to be placed over the tread of the rail, and then bolted together, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a truck-frame, of 9o depending arms D, rigidly secured at their upper ends to the truck-frame, each having a guard swiveled upon'its lower end, said guardv consisting ot' two curved plates, e e', plate e being swiveled upon the rod D and plate e constructed with an open slot, h', and bolted to plate e, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a truck provided with swiveled safety-guards constructed to extend below and beneath the rail-treads, ot a switch composed of switch-section A', consisting ot' the rails a a2 b b2, pivoted at onel end and provided with a connecting-lever at their opposite ends, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of February, 1881.

IOO

EDWARD MYERs.

Vitnesses HENRY A. WILLHARDT, THos. DoLAN. 

